Sunset Upon a Golden Age

Have we as tennis fans taken the time to pinch ourselves once or twice over the last decade, plus?  Honestly, have we really taken a good, hard look around and said to ourselves, "Wow, this is really happening.  And we get to see it all."  The dreamlike qualities enveloping professional tennis find their origins within so many perfect storms, that it would seem utterly frivolous to even suppose that the sport could ever, again, enjoy a similar period of such sustained consistency, relentless drama, and - above all - sheer quality.  So, we move on to ask ourselves how much longer can this last?  How much longer can we all stay in this tennis dream?  Hah!  Yet another pointless exercise!  We will be given those answers when - and, only when - Mother Nature and Father Time have settled affairs with a group of exceptionally talented, prideful, and stubborn tennis champions.  What we do know is that this particular dream is much closer to its end than to its beginning.  Stings a bit...partly because we know we are getting older, and partly because nobody wants to relinquish such a wonderful indulgence.  We often hear the word "sunset" being used as a term to describe the final years of a career, era, or even a life, and while it's near impossible to deem "sunset" as having any negative connotation, the term seems to insinuate that the best has past.  Makes no sense.  Sunset is the most beautiful time of day, period!  Always has been, always will be.  Sunset often provides the peace, quiet, and clarity to take stock of our blessings and realize that we should savor and appreciate them to the fullest and to the last.  Free of expectations.  Sunset also showcases the premier canvas in nature, which can help us dream new dreams.  We will be given ample time to do all of these things, because a sunset takes its own, sweet time.  Make no mistake, there is a sunset upon a golden age in professional tennis, but the choice of what we make of this beautiful time, as fans, is entirely ours.  Let's enjoy the dream, enjoy the sunset, and enjoy the 2015 U.S. Open...the world's greatest sporting event.  Always has been, always will be.